Anyone Watching Olympics?

Every four years my husband goes into hibernation, glues himself to the TV and just watches the games non-stop. Today was Michael Phelps in the relay, that guy is superhuman, has to be the best swimmer ever, if not the best sportsman overall. You should all be very proud of him.

 

Been trying to watch some events like swimming and gymnastics. USA Womens Swim Team Kathleen Ledecky is looking real good also.

 

It's no fun to watch anymore since the evil USSR dba CCCP is out of business now. I'd still watch if 3 inning baseball games (not 9 effling long innings) was included in the games.

 

When I can, I watch. I gotta root for the home team ... 12 rowers from the U. of Washington, and Hope Solo, USA soccer goalie. Nice strategy to
swim Phelps second leg in the 400m relay. He gave a lead that the next 2 legs couldn't avoid staving off France. Sure hope Marta Karoli is right with her strategy for the USA women's gymnastic team. I am going to be cheering for Oksana from Uzbekistan, a 41 year old vaultist, and Ponor,
the only woman gymnast from Romania. I just love underdogs.

 

Beach Volleyball ... oh yeah! I saw the opening match of Kerri and April against Australia. I kept checking the screen real close, wondering if April wasn't really Misty in disguise ... they are so good.

 

Ahhh, those were the days, weren't they? But, it chaps my hide reading about their mega shameless state-sponsored pedal to the metal CHEATING in which they have engaged for decades while the weak, useless, spineless, yellow-bellied, corrupt Olympics Powers That Be allowed it ... AND are still allowing it. How about that female swimmer yesterday ... I don't remember from what country ... that has apparently tested TWICE for banned substances and there she is nonchalantly being allowed to compete!

IMO cheating will never be stopped until they implement much stronger consequences. Right now when they find out years later that certain athletes cheated, they just take away their medals. Big deal. What do the athletes care by then? Aside of some embarrassment, shame / humiliation ... they've already made their money and enjoyed their fame and glory by the time the hammer drops years later.

Anyway ... yeah, that Men's 4x100 Freestyle Relay Final last night was edge of your seat, pressure-filled exciting! Before the race when it was commented that it had been debated whether Michael Phelps should be included on the team or not, I immediately thought, "Ahhh, that sounds like he really doesn't belong there and is now gonna be taking some other more qualified, more deserving swimmer's place ... only so they can have Phelps' name presence on there and to help him get another medal." Then when I saw that Phelps wound up being the catalyst that gave them the lead that helped them win the race ... I sheepishly owed Phelps an apology.

 

It kind of ruins it when they tell you on TV, Radio, and the Internet who won Gold before they broadcast it for you to watch.

 

I like to watch the fencing, archery, and the shooting sports.

 

Nice to see a US gymnast make the news this time <snip>
http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2016/news/160711/simone-biles-00-435.jpg

 

South African Wayde van Niekerk won gold in the 400m race - breaking Michael Johnson's world record of 43.18 from 1999, and Olympic Record of 43.49 from 1996. And he did this from lane 8 - a first.

 

There is plenty of talent on the Men's Basketball Team, egos, selfishness, and lack of team work are the problem. Let's face it the NBA spoils players. The rules are a little different in the Olympics but they should be able to adjust to that easily. Hope they get it together soon and play like the elite team they should be.

 

Speaking of chapping hide ... Okay, so we weren't talking about that. Nevertheless, MAN! That diving stunt by that Shaunae Miller in the women's 400m Final just absolutely CHAPS MY HIDE! Apparently it's perfectly legal, but IMO, it is ridiculous, wrong and has no business in a Running event. That was not American Football where you can dive on any play for extra yardage. That was not Baseball where sliding or diving into home plate is the norm. That was not the Long Jump, Etc. IMO the rules should be that a legal finish should constitute that the runners finish upright on their feet. If they want to dive onto the track ... or maybe do some Gymnastics somersaults or Break Dance or whatever, they can do it after they cross the finish line.

I had seen runners fall at the finish line before. I just don't recall a runner so shamelessly intentionally dive across the finish line.

Hmmm ... if diving across the finish line is perfectly legal, then maybe USA Sprinter Justin Gatlin should take note. The next time Justin Gatlin has to take on Usain Bolt --- since by the laws of Mathematics, Biology and Physics it is virtually impossible for Gatlin to beat Bolt while on his feet, he might as well try going airborne with a Mini Skydiving Stunt across the finish line.

 

Wooooooo! That was blazingly FAST! It was like he maintained a 200m speed on an entire 400m race. Had he even been on the radar so to speak? Or did absolutely nobody remotely pick him to win?

I don't know what LaShawn Merritt's time was, but he looked slow. And to think that he (LaShawn) had been flirting with running only the 400m because it was his specialty and presumably a sure thing for Gold. Now he has to hope that he somehow manages to upset Usain Bolt in the 200m.

Since the other USA sprinters were unimpressive, I just don't see them beating Jamaica in the 4 x 100 Relay. The first 3 sprinters would have to give Justin Gatlin a 10 meter lead for him to beat Usain Bolt in the last leg. Dive, Gatlin! DIVE! Well, I'm assuming the USA Relay Team will make it to the Finals. Doh!

 

We knew (read hoped) he would be in the top 3. But winning and breaking the OR & WR was just amazing! Imagine running the entire race not seeing your competitors...

 

It was Total Annihilation. He Ledeckyized the entire competition.

 

I LOVE the olympics never have missef it till now. With it being turned into a political circus and behaving all cold war on Russian athletes and the Country, denying athletes their right to compete it has taken it all away from a world class athletic best to what we have witnessed.
Sadly Rio was ruined by the IOC and others.
But the Olympics is fantastic to watch just not this time for me.

 

It's great to watch the sports you like, though how golf got in as an 'Olympic' sport is strange, especially given most of the top golfers were not interested in going in case they got bit by a mosquito or not much prize money. Tennis is another funny one. Most of the top players either didn't go because of mosquitoes (or lack of prize money) or were out in the first round....less time there, less chance of a mozzy bite!
It's always been a bit political though, don't remember when it hasn't been, and I thought Russia suffered a little bit from doping. But quite a few Russian and other former Soviet republic athletes, and Chinese still got to compete (and win medals) despite having committed doping in recent times.
The best thing would be to ban any athlete shown clearly to have used illegal substances from any international competition for life. Then no country could claim to be treated unfairly.
Oh and ban and take away medals from athletes who lie about being robbed.

 

As to behaving all Cold War on the Russian athletes? The Olympic Ban predicament that the Russian Track & Field Team found themselves in was brought on all courtesy of their government's perpetual, perennial cheating ways. If they choose to cheat in a big time Olympic-sized manner, then a big time Olympic-sized beatdown of a punishment is what they deserved and got.

True, in the process, other presumably innocent / clean Russian athletes got victimized in a collateral damage sort of way by their government's actions / ways, but ... how else is a government that's made it a habit of engaging in state-sponsored cheating for decades gonna be taught a real hard lesson that they won't soon forget ... a lesson that will seriously make them consider changing their cheating ways? Those innocent Russian athletes can blame their government for the cold shoulder (Cold War) treatment reception they've received at the Olympics.

It was high time the Russian Powers That Be were caught with their pants down and both hands in the Banned Substances Cookie Jar.

Unfortunately, I really don't see the Russian Powers That Be getting all Scared Straight by this getting caught in a compromising position mess. A certain Sports Commentator over here has a saying that --- "The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior."

There will always be althletes who are just scrupples-challenged enough and will want to win no matter what the cost. I was reading an article on Doping in Wikipedia. I was shocked at how widespread it is and how long it has existed in one shape or form or another. Let's just say that unfortunately it doesn't look good for the prospect of eliminating doping / cheating.

 

I concur on that Ban for Life on those athletes where there is irrefutable evidence that they used PEDs. It's interesting how the new False Start Rule is absolutely Brutally Zero Tolerance. You false start ... BAMM! You're OUT right then and there. No ands, ifs or buts. Your 4-year preparation down the drain. YET ... Dopers are always being given weak bans that more often than not, get cut in half eventually. The doping epidemic cannot be squashed if the Powers That Be keep having a jelly spine and buckling under and giving the Cheaters break after break. Consequences need to be implemented that will put FEAR into the minds of Cheaters.

Ooooo yeah, I'm definitely curious what the outcome of that SwimmersGate scandal is gonna be once all the dust has settled. Even IF they escape charges from the police in Rio, I'm guessing the USOC and conceivably the IOC as well will have to reprimand them in some way. That was an extremely foolish stunt they pulled. It would be stupid and ill-advised enough here in the USA where some crooked, shady lawyer could get them off. But, doing it in some other country with different laws where getting off would be less guaranteed ... mind-boggling.

 

MAN I can't wait for the Men's and Women's 4 x 100 Relays. That was really odd how the USA women had to run a relay race by themselves to see IF they could take China's place after that bumping incident.